The Black Crowes Refit Their ’70s Classic Rock Intuitions With Shapely ‘Happiness Bastards’ (ALBUM REVIEW)

For their first album of new material in 15 years The Black Crowes look to their past and deliver vintage, retro-rock in workmanlike fashion throughout Happiness Bastards. The cover art of the album tells the tale as it is the band’s The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion, whitewashed and painted over as the group rehashes their original sounds, just in a less passionate form.  

The group has been stripped down in recent years to just Chris and Rich Robinson, who have put their past arguments aside (for now) to reunite. On Happiness Bastards they are joined by Brian Griffin on drums, Joel Robinow on keyboards, and Isaiah Mitchell on guitar, along with longtime bassist Sven Pipien returning to the fold. 

No frills, boogie-woogie, hard rock, and roll kicks off the album on the pair of openers “Bedside Manners” and “Rats and Clowns”. The banging drums, organ, twinkling barroom piano, and mean guitar make “Bedside Manners” the standout effort here as the sound soars behind Chris’ strong vocals, which have barely aged. “Rats and Clowns” continues driving straight ahead until dawn, with ascending riffs from Rich and Mitchell, both admirable efforts.

The hard rocking continues, with the swing of former drummer Steve Gorman replaced by Griffin’s direct slam, as the “Jealous Again” inspired “Wanting and Waiting” and the riff-tastic “Follow The Moon” both do the job, but remind of stronger past Crowe efforts. Producer Jay Joyce adds modern rock touches with two songs that feel like they are trying to break out in new directions, but never really have the heart to commit. “Flesh Wound” flirts with power pop and punk, but never puts out, while “Cross Your Fingers” throws everything at the wall with acoustic strums, big bass, and funky singing, yet nothing sticks. 

“Dirty Cold Sun” is the sound of the Crowes going for a modern huge single, and while solid, it never fully ignites. The group adds two country-tinged power ballads to balance out the rocking with various degrees of success as “Wilted Rose” brings on Lainey Wilson to support the over-the-top dramatic tale while closer “Kindred Friend” is a poppier, sweet effort as strings and a loose groove wraps up the record. 

When not looking to their past, Chris and Rich are trying to channel classic era Rolling Stones (Example A: “Bleed It Dry”) and in the end deliver more of a Voodoo Lounge vibe; a long-running band looking back on their career, returning to their roots with some success, but nothing much new to say.  

On their last collection of new songs, 2009’s excellently nuanced Before the Frost…Until the Freeze, the band brilliantly expanded to the widest sound of their career successfully incorporating Americana folk, rock, and even disco. On Happiness Bastards the brothers Crowe retreat to their safer classic rock roots with efforts that gun for mid-70’s arena swagger, falling short of the band’s prime, a touch uninspired and derivative of their best work.